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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · deal · press · march · race · stock

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. march — music
  3. race — humankind
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. press — to push
  6. deal — to handle
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. press — newspapers
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. race — a contest
  13. ground — a position
  14. stock — shares
  15. march — the month
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ground — crushed
  18. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com